During the play of a game of pool, a player strokes a cue ball with a pool or cue stick. The pool cue typically has a long, tapered conical shape, wherein the tip is of narrow diameter and the handle is of large diameter, suitable for gripping by a player with his/her hand. The handle of the pool cue is held in the player's thrusting hand, while a front portion of the pool cue shaft lies between the thumb and forefinger of the player's immobile hand (or ‘bridge’ hand), or is retained in a curled forefinger thereof, thereby providing rigid support for the shaft of the cue.
Occasionally, a bridge device is utilized in place of the player's immobile hand when it is difficult to make a smooth pool stroke, or to provide support to the front portion of the shaft when the player has difficulty placing his/her immobile hand in close proximity to the cue ball. Although such bridge devices provide support, the pool cue shaft may still leave the confines of the bridge during the player's stroke.
As the pool stroke is made, the pool cue moves forward. During execution of the thrusting stroke with a standard pool cue, the increasing diameter of the pool cue shaft moving against the fixed position of the player's bridge hand causes the tip of the pool cue to rise as the tip approaches the cue ball. Such a rise in position of the tip can lead to topspin being imparted on the cue ball, thereby increasing the distance that the cue ball will travel, or striking of the target ball by the cue ball at a higher level of force than desired. In addition, movement of the cue tip upwards can cause a miscue, wherein the tip of the pool cue does not strike the cue ball on center and tends to move the cue ball by frictional forces imparted from the side of the shaft rather than the tip thereof.
Often during play, the pool cue acquires perspiration from the player's hand, liquid from a beverage, or other foreign matter that can impede the smooth stroke of the cue. During such occasions, the pool cue may become too slippery, or alternately, if the foreign matter is sticky, the cue may be impeded during its stroke, leading to a poorly-directed stroke and/or a miscue. When the cue is impeded, the player will often overcorrect and impart greater thrust to the pool cue. However, once friction is overcome, the pool cue will travel under this greater force and strike the cue ball harder than intended. In addition, the tissue of the bridge hand may yield under the increased force, thereby redirecting the intended trajectory of the pool cue.
Accordingly, various devices and methods have been utilized in an attempt to provide a smooth pool stroke. For instance, one invention utilizes a pool cue sleeve, wherein the sleeve is slidably engaged over a straight section of the pool cue shaft, and wherein the tip end of the shaft mushrooms to a width greater than the width of the shaft to prevent withdrawal of the sleeve therefrom. The device also permits securing the sleeve out of the way on a single ring member. However, when the sleeve is no longer desired, such a pool cue does not permit the subsequent removal of the sleeve from the pool cue such as via passage over the tip end. Furthermore, in the event that the existing sleeve becomes damaged or otherwise unsuited for further use the inability to remove the sleeve prevents replacement of same.
Still other inventions utilizing a sleeve device do not provide a means for retaining the sleeve on the pool cue, thereby resulting in the sleeve falling off of the pool cue when the cue is pointed in a downward direction.
Therefore, it is readily apparent that there is a need for a pool cue with a slidable sleeve and method of use thereof, wherein the sleeve is removably retained upon the pool cue, thereby permitting selective use, removal and/or replacement of same. The device further provides a smooth stroke irrespective of hand perspiration, thereby providing an even and controlled stroke.